The Four Stages (HTM "Perfect Sales Call")

Open it from Today's Consults. Click the red 💰 Make the Sale button next to the client's name. Client, date, rep, callback number, and case type prefill. Set the Decision Stage. Then run the four stages in order — each stage earns the right to the next. (FOIA case types also show a blue 📄 FOIA button for the FOIA questionnaire.)

Stage 1 · The Opening. Confirm the time. Assure confidentiality. Get permission — to record, to take notes, to propose the agenda. Read the agenda script word for word, and collect NOW what you'll need at the close: who else is part of the decision. A call opened wrong cannot be closed right.

Stage 2 · Problem Identification. The heart of the call. What they want → why now → what they already tried and why it didn't work → the emotional cost → the family cost → the financial cost. Write THEIR words, verbatim: "I can't sleep because my husband could be picked up" closes cases; "client is worried" closes nothing. The money questions need real numbers — the gap between what they make now and what they could make resolved is the case paying for itself. Let the client say it.

Stage 3 · Possible Solutions. Present the four doors, out loud: do nothing, do it yourself, keep searching, or we help you begin making this better today. Let them choose door four — people defend choices they made themselves. Then present the plan and the investment, and run the objection-clarity questions to name the TRUE objection (money, timing, uncertainty, or trust) while they're still in front of you.

Stage 4 · The Close. WHO is going to do WHAT by WHEN — said out loud, written in the grid, before anyone stands up. Then the rep summary (top emotional driver, financial driver, true objection) and the final next step: decision made, payment direction, follow-up time, or spouse call scheduled. A call without a WHO/WHAT/WHEN is a lost lead.

Save and file. The worksheet saves to the client automatically as you type — reopen it any time and the answers are there. Still hit 🖨 Download PDF and attach it to the client's GHL record the same day. Then close from their words: "You told me…"

Standards & Accountability

· The worksheet is used on EVERY consultation — no exceptions for "easy" closes.

· Verbatim answers, not paraphrases. Quotes are ammunition; summaries are noise.

· The WHO / WHAT / by WHEN grid is never blank. Every consultation ends with a committed next step and a time.

· Answers autosave to the client's record — but the PDF still gets downloaded and attached to GHL the same day. A consult with no worksheet is an unworked consult, and it lands on the rep.

1. What Changed, and Why

Version 1.0 fixed a real problem. We were financing cases at zero percent with no floor and no end date, and the firm was carrying debt it had no business carrying. Three payments, one-third down, card on file. That policy did its job.

It also cost us cases. A rigid three-payment structure told a client who could genuinely pay us over eight months that the answer was no. That is a case we did not take, a family we did not help, and revenue we did not earn, all to avoid a problem we can solve a better way.

Version 2.0 moves the discipline from the term to the minimum. We will be flexible on how long a client takes. We will not be flexible on how small each payment is, on getting real money down, or on the card being on file. A $500 floor is what makes a longer term safe.

2. Payment Structure (Point of Sale)

Option A — Pay in Full or Two Payments

• Pay in full at signing, or half down at signing with the balance due when the case is ready to file with USCIS.
• If the case is ready in two weeks, the balance is due in two weeks.
• The $299 financing fee is waived under this option. The firm is not carrying a balance, so there is nothing to charge for.

Option B — Payment Plan

This is where the flexibility lives. Three numbers govern every plan and they are not negotiable.

• Maximum down. Ask for the largest down payment the client can actually make today, then ask once more. There is no fixed percentage any more, and that is not permission to take less, it is permission to take more. The down payment is the single best predictor of whether a plan gets paid.
• $500 minimum per payment. No payment on any plan is under $500. Not the second one, not the last one. This is the floor that makes everything else work.
• Stretch to 6 internally before extending the term. A closer can write up to six payments on their own authority. Work the down payment and the payment amount first; reach for term last.
• 12 payments is the ceiling. Seven through twelve requires Hector’s approval on the file before the contract is signed. Not after.

The Term Follows the Math, Not the Negotiation

Term is not something a client talks us into. It falls out of the balance divided by $500, capped at 12. Run the math in front of the client and the number is simply what it is.

Hard Limits

• $500 minimum payment. No exceptions. There is no $100 a month plan at this firm and there never will be again.
• 12 payments maximum. There is no 18, no 24, and no open-ended arrangement.
• Amounts and due dates are fixed at signing. No “I will pay $800 this month and $300 next month.”
• Payments are monthly and dated. A plan with no dates is not a plan.
• If the client cannot meet the $500 floor, the answer is outside financing (Section 6), not a longer term. Term flexibility is not a substitute for the client finding the money.

3. Card on File (Unchanged and Non-Negotiable)

• Every financed case requires a valid card on file. No card, no financing. Full stop. Longer terms make this more important, not less.
• The card authorization form is signed at the time of contract, on every file, with no exceptions.
• The card does not have to be the client’s own. A family member’s, a friend’s, or an employer’s card is fine. The obligation is that a card exists.
• No cash-only arrangements. No “I will come pay when I get my taxes.” No Venmo or Cash App without a card on file.

We are flexible on whose card it is. We are not flexible on whether there is one.

4. What Financing Costs

Version 1.0 offered financing at zero percent with a tiered setup fee. Version 2.0 keeps the structure honest and simple: one flat fee for carrying the balance, and the actual cost of taking a card, passed through.

4.1 — $299 Financing Fee

• $299 flat, on every payment plan, regardless of case size. This replaces the old $199 / $299 tiered setup fee.
• Added to the balance. It is not collected as a separate charge at signing, so it never competes with the down payment.
• Waived on pay-in-full and two-payment engagements (Option A). The fee exists because the firm is carrying the balance. If we are not carrying it, there is nothing to charge.

4.2 — 3% Card Processing Charge

• 3% is added to every card transaction, including the down payment and every installment we run on the card on file.
• It is disclosed at the point of sale, written into the fee agreement, and shown on the receipt. The client hears it from the closer before they ever see it on a statement.
• It is a pass-through of what it costs us to accept the card, not a profit line. Say it that way, because that is what it is, and because that is what the card networks require it to be.

5. Collections Cadence (Unchanged)

The cadence does not change, and the reason is worth saying out loud: longer terms mean the firm carries balances further into the year, so the cost of letting one age is higher now, not lower. A client three payments behind on a 12-month plan is the same problem as a client three payments behind on a 3-month plan. We act on the same clock.

Excuses do not change the cadence. Because the terms are disclosed at signing, the client has already been told exactly what happens.

6. Outside Financing

Closing is not the problem. The job is to close the client and then help them find the money. The urgency to fund the case belongs to the client.

• Use our approved outside financing partners: the legal-services financing company, and the option for clients without a Social Security number.
• The closer walks the client through the application in the office when they are not comfortable with the forms. We do not hand them a link and hope.
• Outside financing is the answer when a client cannot clear the $500 floor. It is not a fallback we mention once, it is the path, and the closer owns walking them down it.

7. Ownership & Accountability

Standard of Success

• Zero payment plans written below the $500 floor.
• Zero plans written past 12 payments.
• Every plan of 7 to 12 payments carries Hector’s documented approval.
• 100% of financed files have a signed card authorization on file.
• No file ages past 90 days without a disengagement decision.
• Average down payment as a percentage of case value trends up month over month. This is the number that tells us whether “maximum down” is real or whether it quietly became “whatever they offered.”
• Average plan term is watched monthly. If it drifts toward 12 across the board, the flexibility is being used as a shortcut and the policy gets tightened.

8. Team Scripts (Bilingual)

8.1 — Presenting the Terms at Close

8.2 — Asking for the Down Payment (Ask Twice)

8.3 — When the Client Asks for Less Than $500 a Month

8.4 — Explaining the 3% Without Apologizing for It

8.5 — Collections Urgency (30 / 60 Day)

9. Before the 3% Goes Live — For Gilda

This section is an implementation checklist, not legal advice. The 3% charge is a regulated practice with federal, card-network, and professional-responsibility dimensions. Gilda has final say, and the processor has to confirm the mechanics.

• Debit cards cannot be surcharged. Federal law prohibits it regardless of state law, and a large share of our clients pay with debit. Confirm with the processor that the system distinguishes debit from credit automatically, or the charge gets applied where it must not be.
• Card-network registration and notice. Visa and Mastercard require advance notice to the acquirer and the networks before surcharging begins, cap the amount, and require disclosure at the point of entry and on the receipt.
• Texas. The state’s anti-surcharge statute was enjoined in federal court, which is why this is available to us. Confirm current status before launch.
• Fee agreement language. The $299 financing fee and the 3% charge must appear in the signed engagement agreement, not only in this SOP. A charge the client did not agree to in writing is a problem regardless of what the policy says.
• Trust accounting. Confirm how the surcharge is handled on any funds that pass through trust, and that the fee is recorded so the ledger stays clean.

1. Qué Cambió, y Por Qué

La Versión 1.0 resolvió un problema real. Estábamos financiando casos al cero por ciento, sin mínimo y sin fecha final, y el bufete cargaba una deuda que no le correspondía cargar. Tres pagos, un tercio de enganche, tarjeta registrada. Esa política hizo su trabajo.

También nos costó casos. Una estructura rígida de tres pagos le decía que no a un cliente que honestamente sí nos podía pagar en ocho meses. Ese es un caso que no tomamos, una familia a la que no ayudamos, e ingresos que no ganamos, todo para evitar un problema que podemos resolver de mejor manera.

La Versión 2.0 mueve la disciplina del plazo al mínimo. Vamos a ser flexibles en cuánto tiempo se toma el cliente. No vamos a ser flexibles en qué tan pequeño es cada pago, en conseguir dinero real de enganche, ni en que haya una tarjeta registrada. El mínimo de $500 es lo que hace seguro un plazo más largo.

2. Estructura de Pago (Punto de Venta)

Opción A — Pago Total o Dos Pagos

• Pago total al firmar, o la mitad de enganche al firmar con el saldo restante cuando el caso esté listo para presentarse ante USCIS.
• Si el caso queda listo en dos semanas, el saldo se vence en dos semanas.
• El cargo de financiamiento de $299 no aplica bajo esta opción. El bufete no está cargando un saldo, así que no hay nada que cobrar.

Opción B — Plan de Pagos

Aquí es donde vive la flexibilidad. Tres números gobiernan cada plan y no son negociables.

• Máximo enganche. Pida el enganche más grande que el cliente realmente pueda dar hoy, y luego pregúntele una vez más. Ya no hay un porcentaje fijo, y eso no es permiso para aceptar menos, es permiso para pedir más. El enganche es el mejor indicador de si un plan se va a pagar.
• $500 mínimo por pago. Ningún pago de ningún plan baja de $500. Ni el segundo, ni el último. Este es el piso que hace que todo lo demás funcione.
• Estire hasta 6 internamente antes de extender el plazo. Un cerrador puede escribir hasta seis pagos por su propia autoridad. Trabaje primero el enganche y el monto del pago; el plazo es lo último.
• 12 pagos es el límite. De siete a doce requiere la aprobación de Héctor en el expediente antes de firmar el contrato. No después.

El Plazo Sale de la Matemática, No de la Negociación

El plazo no es algo que el cliente nos convenza de dar. Sale del saldo dividido entre $500, con tope de 12. Haga la cuenta enfrente del cliente y el número es simplemente lo que es.

Límites Firmes

• $500 mínimo por pago. Sin excepciones. No existe un plan de $100 al mes en este bufete y nunca volverá a existir.
• 12 pagos máximo. No hay 18, no hay 24, y no hay arreglos abiertos sin fecha final.
• Los montos y las fechas se fijan al firmar. Nada de “pago $800 este mes y $300 el siguiente.”
• Los pagos son mensuales y con fecha. Un plan sin fechas no es un plan.
• Si el cliente no alcanza el piso de $500, la respuesta es financiamiento externo (Sección 6), no un plazo más largo. La flexibilidad de plazo no sustituye que el cliente consiga el dinero.

3. Tarjeta Registrada (Sin Cambios y No Negociable)

• Todo caso financiado requiere una tarjeta válida registrada. Sin tarjeta, no hay financiamiento. Punto. Los plazos más largos hacen esto más importante, no menos.
• La forma de autorización de tarjeta se firma al momento del contrato, en cada expediente, sin excepciones.
• La tarjeta no tiene que ser del cliente. La de un familiar, un amigo o un empleador está bien. La obligación es que exista una tarjeta.
• No hay arreglos solo en efectivo. Nada de “vengo a pagar cuando me llegue el reembolso de impuestos.” Ni Venmo ni Cash App sin tarjeta registrada.

Somos flexibles en de quién es la tarjeta. No somos flexibles en si hay una.

4. Lo Que Cuesta el Financiamiento

La Versión 1.0 ofrecía financiamiento al cero por ciento con una cuota escalonada. La Versión 2.0 mantiene la estructura honesta y simple: un cargo fijo por cargar el saldo, y el costo real de aceptar una tarjeta, trasladado al cliente.

4.1 — Cargo de Financiamiento de $299

• $299 fijo, en cada plan de pagos, sin importar el tamaño del caso. Reemplaza la cuota escalonada anterior de $199 / $299.
• Se agrega al saldo. No se cobra aparte al firmar, así que nunca compite con el enganche.
• No aplica en pago total ni en dos pagos (Opción A). El cargo existe porque el bufete está cargando el saldo. Si no lo estamos cargando, no hay nada que cobrar.

4.2 — Cargo del 3% por Procesamiento de Tarjeta

• Se agrega 3% a cada transacción con tarjeta, incluyendo el enganche y cada mensualidad que cobremos a la tarjeta registrada.
• Se informa en el punto de venta, se escribe en el acuerdo de honorarios y se muestra en el recibo. El cliente lo escucha del cerrador antes de verlo en su estado de cuenta.
• Es el traslado de lo que nos cuesta aceptar la tarjeta, no una ganancia. Dígalo así, porque eso es lo que es, y porque así lo exigen las redes de tarjetas.

5. Cadencia de Cobranza (Sin Cambios)

La cadencia no cambia, y vale la pena decir en voz alta por qué: los plazos más largos significan que el bufete carga saldos más adentro del año, así que el costo de dejar envejecer uno es más alto ahora, no más bajo. Un cliente con tres pagos atrasados en un plan de 12 meses es el mismo problema que uno con tres pagos atrasados en un plan de 3 meses. Actuamos con el mismo reloj.

Las excusas no cambian la cadencia. Como los términos se informan al firmar, al cliente ya se le dijo exactamente qué pasa.

6. Financiamiento Externo

Cerrar no es el problema. El trabajo es cerrar al cliente y luego ayudarle a conseguir el dinero. La urgencia de financiar el caso le pertenece al cliente.

• Use nuestras compañías de financiamiento aprobadas: la financiera de servicios legales, y la opción para clientes sin número de Seguro Social.
• El cerrador acompaña al cliente en la solicitud dentro de la oficina cuando no se siente cómodo con las formas. No le damos un enlace y esperamos.
• El financiamiento externo es la respuesta cuando el cliente no alcanza el piso de $500. No es algo que se menciona una vez, es el camino, y el cerrador es responsable de acompañarlo por él.

7. Responsabilidad y Rendición de Cuentas

Estándar de Éxito

• Cero planes de pago escritos por debajo del piso de $500.
• Cero planes escritos a más de 12 pagos.
• Todo plan de 7 a 12 pagos lleva la aprobación documentada de Héctor.
• 100% de los expedientes financiados tienen autorización de tarjeta firmada.
• Ningún expediente pasa de 90 días sin una decisión de terminación.
• El enganche promedio como porcentaje del valor del caso sube mes con mes. Este es el número que nos dice si el “máximo enganche” es real o si calladamente se convirtió en “lo que el cliente ofreció.”
• El plazo promedio se revisa cada mes. Si se corre hacia 12 en todos los casos, la flexibilidad se está usando como atajo y la política se aprieta.

8. Guiones para el Equipo (Bilingüe)

8.1 — Presentando los Términos al Cerrar

8.2 — Pidiendo el Enganche (Pregunte Dos Veces)

8.3 — Cuando el Cliente Pide Menos de $500 al Mes

8.4 — Explicando el 3% Sin Pedir Disculpas

8.5 — Urgencia de Cobranza (30 / 60 Días)

9. Antes de Que el 3% Entre en Vigor — Para Gilda

Esta sección es una lista de verificación para implementar, no asesoría legal. El cargo del 3% es una práctica regulada con dimensiones federales, de redes de tarjetas y de responsabilidad profesional. Gilda tiene la última palabra, y el procesador debe confirmar la mecánica.

• No se puede cobrar recargo a tarjetas de débito. La ley federal lo prohíbe sin importar la ley estatal, y buena parte de nuestros clientes paga con débito. Confirme con el procesador que el sistema distingue débito de crédito automáticamente, o el cargo se aplicará donde no debe.
• Registro y aviso ante las redes de tarjetas. Visa y Mastercard exigen aviso anticipado al banco adquirente y a las redes antes de empezar a cobrar recargo, limitan el monto, y exigen que se informe al inicio de la transacción y en el recibo.
• Texas. La ley estatal que prohibía el recargo fue suspendida por una corte federal, y por eso esto está disponible para nosotros. Confirme el estado actual antes de arrancar.
• Texto del acuerdo de honorarios. El cargo de financiamiento de $299 y el 3% deben aparecer en el acuerdo de representación firmado, no solo en este documento. Un cargo que el cliente no aceptó por escrito es un problema sin importar lo que diga la política.
• Contabilidad de fideicomiso. Confirme cómo se maneja el recargo sobre fondos que pasan por la cuenta de fideicomiso, y que el cargo quede registrado para que el libro mayor se mantenga limpio.

1. Purpose

This SOP exists to protect the single asset our clients cannot get back once it is gone: their trust. Our clients are immigrant families whose safety, employment, and future in this country depend on their immigration status staying private. A confidentiality failure here is not a paperwork problem. It can put a real family at real risk.

This policy governs how every person at this firm handles client information: what it is, who can see it, how it moves, and what happens if it is mishandled. It applies whether you are on the phone, in the office, at home, or posting on social media.

2. What Counts as Confidential

Everything about a client's case is confidential unless the client has given written authorization to share it. This is broader than most people assume. Confidential information includes:

• Immigration status and case type (even the fact that someone is a client of this firm)
• Names, addresses, phone numbers, and any identifying documents (passports, birth certificates, IDs)
• Case history, strategy, filings, and attorney notes
• Financial information: fees paid, payment plans, income documentation
• Family relationships, marital history, and any personal details shared during intake or consultation
• Anything overheard in the office, waiting room, or on a call, even if you weren't the one handling the case

3. Attorney-Client Privilege, In Plain Language

Attorney-client privilege is a legal protection that belongs to the client, not to the firm. It means communications between the client and Attorney McDowell (or the team acting on her behalf, under her supervision) cannot be forced into disclosure by a court, an opposing party, or a government agency, with narrow legal exceptions.

Two things every team member must understand:

• Privilege only protects communication made for the purpose of getting legal advice. A hallway conversation about someone's case is not automatically privileged just because it happened at the office.
• Privilege can be broken by carelessness. If confidential information is shared with someone outside the firm who does not need it, the protection can be lost, and it cannot be undone.

Only Attorney McDowell determines what is privileged in a legal dispute. If anyone (a subpoena, a process server, a government official, opposing counsel, a reporter) requests case information, the answer is always: "I am not able to discuss that. I will connect you with Attorney McDowell." No exceptions, no judgment calls in the moment.

4. The Family Member Trap

This is the single most common confidentiality mistake in immigration law, and it happens because families are close and well-meaning. A spouse, parent, adult child, or petitioner will call or walk in assuming they have full access to "their" case. Often they do not, legally, unless the client has authorized it in writing.

Standard for every team member:

• Check the file for a signed release or authorization before discussing case details with anyone other than the client
• If no authorization exists, say: "I understand you're involved and I want to help. I'm not able to share case details without [client name]'s written permission. Let's get that on file today."
• Never confirm or deny that someone is a client to a person not listed as authorized, including other family members, employers, or landlords
• Petition-based cases (fiancé visa, marriage-based adjustment of status, VAWA) carry extra sensitivity. In VAWA matters specifically, never disclose a client's status, location, or case existence to an abuser or their contacts under any circumstance

5. Communication Standards

In the Office

• No case discussions in the waiting room, hallway, parking lot, or anywhere a non-authorized person could overhear
• Screens locked (Windows key + L) any time you step away from your desk
• Client files, printed documents, or notepads with case details are never left visible on a desk when a visitor is present

Phone, Text, and WhatsApp

• Verify identity before discussing case specifics on an inbound call. Do not assume the caller is who they say they are
• Case details go through firm systems (GHL, firm phone lines, firm WhatsApp) only, never personal cell phones or personal social media
• Never text or WhatsApp sensitive documents (passports, IDs, financial records) unless through an approved, encrypted firm channel

Email

• Use the client's verified email on file. Do not CC or forward to unverified addresses, even if a family member requests it
• Double-check the "To" field before sending anything with attachments. A misdirected email with a client's immigration documents is a reportable incident

Social Media and Personal Accounts

• Never post, screenshot, or share anything from a client file, even with names removed, without written client consent and Dan's or Gilda's sign-off
• Never discuss a case, even in general terms ("we won a big one today"), on personal social media

6. Digital and Physical File Security

7. Marketing and Content Use

The firm actively markets through video, social media, blog posts, and testimonials. This makes confidentiality a marketing responsibility too, not just an intake responsibility.

• No client story, testimonial, photo, or video is used in any marketing material (website, social media, HeyGen scripts, ads, blog posts) without a signed, written release from the client
• Case studies and avatars used for internal training or content (Rosa Martinez, Carlos Rodriguez, etc.) are composite or anonymized personas, not real client identities, unless a real client has explicitly consented to be featured
• Before/after case outcomes used in marketing must be generalized. Never publish specific dates, A-numbers, or details specific enough to identify a real matter without consent
• Any team member producing content pulls from approved, de-identified templates. When in doubt, route through Dan before publishing

8. Third-Party and Referral Disclosures

Co-counsel, referring attorneys, translators, and outside agencies sometimes need case information to help a client. This is allowed only under these conditions:

• A signed release or engagement authorization is on file naming the third party
• The disclosure is limited to what that third party actually needs, not the full file
• Gilda or Dan has confirmed the referral relationship is legitimate before information is sent

9. Breach Protocol

If confidential information is disclosed to the wrong person, sent to the wrong address, lost, or otherwise exposed, act immediately. Speed limits the damage.

• Report it to Gilda and Dan the same day it is discovered. Do not wait, do not try to fix it quietly first.
• Do not attempt to "undo" the disclosure yourself (do not call the recipient asking them to delete something without Gilda's direction on how that call should go)
• Document what happened: what was disclosed, to whom, when, and how it was discovered
• Gilda determines whether client notification, a corrective filing, or a bar reporting obligation applies. This is always her call, not a staff-level decision

10. Confidentiality After Employment Ends

Confidentiality obligations do not end when someone leaves the firm, voluntarily or otherwise. On exit:

• All system access (GHL, email, shared drives, firm phone lines) is revoked same-day
• All physical files and devices are returned before final pay is issued
• The obligation to never disclose client information continues permanently, with no expiration date

11. Accountability and Enforcement

Confidentiality is not optional and is not weighted by role or seniority. Every team member signs this SOP as a condition of access to client information.

12. Acknowledgment

I have read and understood this Client Privilege & Confidentiality SOP. I understand that confidentiality protects real families and that violations carry serious consequences, up to and including termination.